HANOVER, N.H. – The Columbia softball team fell twice to Dartmouth on a cold Friday afternoon. The Big Green (16-13, 6-0) scored in each of the first four innings to come away with an 8-1 win in game one before holding off a late rally by the Lions (14-12, 4-2) in game two to pick up a 4-3 victory.

The Lions will look to get back on track at Harvard on Saturday, Apr. 5 for another Ivy League twinbill. First pitch is slated for 12:30 p.m.

Dartmouth used a patient approach at the plate in the bottom of the first to draw three walks and take a 2-0 lead after an RBI double by Kristen Rumley and a bases loaded walk to Madeline Damore.

The teams traded runs in the second, the Lions scoring on an RBI double by Liz Caggiano and the Big Green restoring the two-run margin after Katie McEachern snuck a single through the left side of the infield.

Karen Chaw added an insurance run with a solo shot in the third inning and Dartmouth plated two more in the fourth and sixth innings to put the contest away.

Starting pitcher Emily Kenyon lasted just 0.1 innings, allowing the first two runs of the game to take the decision (4-3).

Chaw got Dartmouth on the board quickly in the bottom of the first with a two-run single with the bases loaded to give the Big Green a 2-0 advantage.

Dartmouth continued to apply the pressure in the third when Kara Curosh hit a blooper to leftfield to score Damore.

Morgan McCalmon did not allow a Lion baserunner until the top of the fourth inning, giving up a leadoff double and moved to third after a throwing error. Kayla Shimoda put Columbia on the board with a long fly ball deep enough to advance Alix Cook to cut the deficit to 3-1.

The Lions missed a golden opportunity to break through in the fifth, loading the bases on a single by Caggiano, a walk by Macy Shrum and another base hit from Alix Cook. However, McCalmon induced a ground out to work out of the jam and preserve her team’s lead.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Big Green cashed in again off a Curosh double to plate Chaw to restore the three-run cushion. That run proved to be important because Columbia rallied one last time in the seventh.

Nicole Borchard started things off with a double and Caggiano earned a base on balls. One batter later, Kerry Cook knocked in Borchard with a base hit and Alix Cook followed with another knock to load the bases with just one out. The Lions pulled within 4-3 when Emily Snodgrass hit into a force play at third base, driving in pinch-runner Kayla Maloney. Rumley, who came on in relief to earn the save, got Shimoda hit a grounder to the same spot as the previous batter to slam the door.

Brooke Darling dropped to 7-5 on the year, going six innings and allowing three earned runs on 10 hits.